Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) is on track to see its first patients in March as part of the multi-staged opening of the new $1.8 billion facility.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Cameron Dick announced the opening and said the hospital’s first outpatient appointments were planned to start on 21 March.
Inpatient services, the emergency department, operating theatres and maternity services are set to commence progressively from 27 March, with elective surgery planned to start on 4 April.
Pathology, radiology and pharmacy services are expected to start the week beginning 6 March.
Mr Dick said the SCUH is the first new, not replacement, tertiary level hospital to be built in Australia in 20 years, giving Sunshine Coast residents access to the very best healthcare services.
“The new services the hospital brings will make an enormous difference to the lives of patients and their families who will no longer have to travel away from home to access some types of treatment,” he said.
“The hospital will also be an important employment and training hub for the region for many years to come, attracting and training the best clinicians.”
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) chief executive Kevin Hegarty said the commencement of services at SCUH was a huge milestone for the local community.
“After many years of planning and construction, we are now ready to witness the biggest transformation of health services on the Sunshine Coast ever,” Mr Hegarty said.
“Direct clinician input is a very important part of our assessment process that is not always a formal part of hospital commissioning. The commissioning of SCUH will benefit greatly from this as it absolutely supports our patient safety first commitment.”
A final confirmation of the service commencement schedule by the board is expected on 28 February, following a final recommendation by the Clinical Readiness Advisory Group.
The exact date for the opening of the emergency department and other inpatient services in the nominated week of 27 March will also be made at that time.
While the opening of the new hospital has been touted as great news for the Sunshine Coast region, some have criticised the movement of many services from Nambour to the SCUH.
Services such as maternity will soon be based at SCUH, meaning Noosa residents will have to travel from Noosa to Kawana for prenatal appointments and to give birth.
The issue has already become a hot topic for State Election candidates such as Greens candidate Joe Shlegeris, who has slammed the current government for not delivering maternity services within the Noosa Shire.
Speaking at his campaign launch, Mr Shlegeris said it was unacceptable to expect heavily pregnant women to travel to Kawana.
“I don’t begrudge the residents of the Sunshine Coast their fancy new hospital, but decent quality health care is reasonably accessible, and Birtinya is simply too far away,” he said.
